Bound By Destiny
by TheTiny
Summary: Takes place after Soul Society ArcIchigo and crew return to the real world, but things are not as they would be. Ichigo training with his father, Chad learning more of his powers, and Uryu...being Uryu. Summary sucks, just read it!
1. Prologue

"_Bound By Destiny"_

_Prologue_

_By- Tiny_

It had only been a few days since the invasion of the Sereitei by a small band of five ryoka and already things had been turned on their heads, most notably the lack of leadership among the Gotei 13. Sosuke Aizen's betrayal had come as a shock to be sure, but that he had managed to corrupt the seemingly dignified Tosen Kaname, and the not so incorruptible Ichimaru Gin, was just as shocking. After all, each of the three had been captains of their divisions and, with the exception of Ichimaru, were senior ranked and very powerful figures in the Soul Society.

Then there was the war that had broken out among the many divisions during the confusion surrounding Aizen's plot, with some high-ranked officers aiding the fugitive ryoka while still others tried to see them dead. The most prominent example of this internal conflict was when the captain of division six had been forced to strike down his own vice-captain in a bloody, heart-wrenching showdown. The two had since come to an uneasy peace, though neither would admit they were wrong in their ideals, and a relative peace had settled in the Soul Society.

The ryoka had remained in the Sereitei for the last few days as they recovered from their numerous injuries, including the loss of his powers in Ishida Uryu's case, while the Captain-General instructed Kurosaki Ichigo in combat. They were slated to leave and head back to their own world at the end of the week, as all would be well and good by that time. Before they left, however, their presence was requested at a special ceremony that would include all of the remaining captains and vice-captains, with Ichigo standing with them as a special guest.

The ceremony took place on what was the remains of the execution stand, which Ichigo and Ukitake had destroyed to save Rukia, now being used for the elevation of who were considered the future of the Soul Society. There were three of them in all, each being escorted by someone of the rank of fukutaicho or higher, the only exception being the ryoka, Kurosaki Ichigo. All of the remaining taicho and various other ranked officers were present at the ceremony, including new fukutaicho Kuchiki Rukia and 11th Division's new 3rd Seat, Ayesegawa Yumichika.

The first of the three men being escorted had only recently mastered the use of his sword, learning how to do so after the betrayal of his taicho, and had had his efforts recognized by the head of Soul Society. He was a younger looking man with long blonde hair that fell down over his left eye, though his good looks were betrayed by the seriousness of his demeanor. This man was Izuru Kira, the fukutaicho of the 3rd Division and one of it's most respected and dignified occupants, if not one of the most strategically brilliant there was.

The next in line, being escorted by Kurosaki Ichigo himself, was a man with a bald head that glistened like the sun in the early morning, his eyes narrowed and face set in a firm scowl. It hadn't been his idea to even put his name in for this 'honor' in the first place, but had rather been his own taicho so that, as the taicho put it, they would be able to fight one another again as equals. The second man was none other than the former 3rd Seat of 11th Division, Madarame Ikkaku, who was currently trying not to lash out against his former fukutaicho for calling him "baldy".

The last man being escorted along the former execution stand was the only person other than the ryoka Ichigo to dare stand against Kuchiki Byakuya, though the outcome of his battle was quite different. He was a powerful looking figure, with tattoos covering him from his legs all the way up to his forehead, his long red hair tied up on his head so as to keep it out of his eyes while fighting. This man, who had already built up a fearful reputation for his prowess in combat even before facing his own taicho was none other than Abarai Renji, considered the strongest of the three men by far.

Standing upon the ceremony stand was the Captain-General himself, his fukutaicho and the other senior taicho standing at his side as the three men and their escorts approached the stand. The mood was one of commencement and celebration as the three stepped up alone onto the stage and kneeled before the leader of the Sereitei, all of them feeling quite a bit intimidated by their commander's presence. He was, after all, the oldest and wisest taicho in all of the Soul Society, and as such when you were around his very presence demanded nothing but respect.

"Those of you who have come today are here for one reason, to witness the commencement of these three great men," Yamamoto began, "Over the last few days, they have undergone the trials to prove themselves worthy of a taicho. The three characteristics necessary are bravery, dedication, and, above all, fortitude in the face of great danger. It is, with great honor, that we recognize their accomplishments today."

The three kneeling adjuncts knew what those last few words meant and, as if on cue, rose to their feet before the senior taicho, making sure to keep their heads bowed in respect to the powerful shinigami. As they awaited the ceremony's continuation, three fukutaicho walked up to the stage, those being the fukutaicho of 5th division, 9th division, and, as Izuru was on the stage, Kuchiki Rukia. Each was holding a white robe of sorts with the various division insignia on their backs, also each being sleeveless to symbolize the newness of this rank.

The three fukutaicho signaled for the three honorees to turn around and face out into the crowd, extending their arms out as the three white cloaks were placed gently on their backs. The marks of their new divisions were emblazoned on the back of the cloaks, with the symbol 9 on Renji's back, 5 on Ikkaku, and 3 on Izuru; signaling their assumption of leadership over the three formerly vacant divisions. It was at this point only that they raised their heads and turned to face the senior taicho who were also on stage, their bodies still shaking with nervousness and anticipation.

"It is at this point that the three of you shall display your bankai to the crowd, the final signal that you are worthy of your rank," Ukitake smiled, gesturing to the masses behind them, "Ready...NOW!"

The crowd nearly went into shock as a massive overflow of spiritual pressure erupted throughout the Sereitei, causing some of the lesser ranked people in the crowd to pass out just by it's presence. None of the ryoka or more powerful shinigami were effected all that much, but each were stunned as the smoke cleared to reveal the final form of the three warrior's zanpakuto. Renji's was as it had always been, a sort of large skeletal snake that had a bushy red man around the base of it's skull, known widely as Hihou Zabimaru, but the other two were a brand new sight.

Ikkaku's was quite large, so big in fact that it almost stunned most of the onlookers that he was even able to hold such weapons, as his usual spear had turned into a three piece weapon. Each one resembled a different type of weapon, with the two he held in his hands having red horsehair tassels at their blade's base, while the largest of the three had a black dragon crest on it's center. The purpose of this was unknown, save that it was a decoration or possibly part of the blades namesake, as this was Ikkaku's bankai, Ryuumon Hozukimaru.

Finally, there was Izuru's bankai which he had only just recently learned how to use and which was not quite as powerful yet as his two fellows, though it's sight was nonetheless impressive. It was easily three times Izuru's size, towering over him and yet he wielded it with great ease, resembling a large, three bladed scythe with sharply curved black blades and a deep red rod holding them. Nobody yet knew this blades properties or how exactly it worked, save for Izuru himself, but it's name was nonetheless intimidating and frightful, Ketsueki Wabisuke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I now introduce you to the three newest taicho of the Sereitei," Captain-General Yamamoto boomed, "May they be loyal and true, 'til the end of their days."

The celebrations went on long into the night in the Sereitei, with the new taicho celebrating their advancement in rank and accomplishments, their friends congratulating them accordingly. The only ones not taking part in the festivities were Kurosaki Ichigo and the other ryoka, as well as the rather clumsy Shiba Ganju and the fukutaicho of 12th unit, Kurotsuchi Nemu. Why the two of them were with Ichigo and his friends seemed a mystery as Renji approached the group, knowing they had to leave soon and might not see each other again for a long time.

"So, I take it your all leaving us now, eh Kurosaki?" the new taicho of 9th division chuckled, "Well, I wish the four of you luck when you return to your own world."

"Thanks Renji, but we won't be going alone," Ichigo chuckled, "But we won't be going alone, Nemu and Ganju are going to be going back with us."

"WHAT?" Renji gasped, "But Nemu is a fukutaicho and Ganju is a member of the nobility! Who the hell authorized such a thing?" 

"I did, Renji," a gruff, elderly voice coughed, "I have been training young Kurosaki personally these last few days and his progress has been astounding. I allowed these two to go with him as part of a task force we are assembling in his world, as Ichigo hand-picked them both."

"But...Yamamoto-sama, both Shiba-san and fukutaicho Kurotsuchi are quite strong and will be restrained in Earth realm," Renji protested, "Would they not be of more use here?"

"I don't think so," Yamamoto mused, scratching his beard, "If Aizen and his followers should decide to launch an assault, they will first go after the human world to try and gain more power. Therefore, it is only plausible that we send some of our best to help combat the threat in that world, and who better to lead them then Kurosaki?"

"No offense, Yamamoto-sama, but Ichigo is still by our standards a rookie, and he has had no formal training aside from a few days with you," Renji protested, "Maybe he should remain here a while, then return when he is better prepared."

"Nonsense, he has more than proven himself," Yamamoto laughed, "Besides, he will have someone to watch after him in that world Renji, possibly even to further his training as a shinigami. Now, you must be off Kurosaki, and god speed."

"Thank you, Yamamoto-sama, I'll never forget all you've done for me," Ichigo bowed, his friends following suit, "Good-bye, and may we meet again..."

Yamamoto simply nodded as the six people went through a sort of gateway, a ragtag group of ryoka who had not only managed to stop the execution of Kuchiki Rukia but also to change the face of Sereitei. It would be a long time before tails of the four from the human world faded; the power of an orange-haired shinigami, the honor of a powerful Quincy, the determination of a strange, dark young man, and the gentleness of the auburn haired beauty. They were four souls interwoven with one another by destiny and fate, and it made Yamamoto smile to know that he had met what he believed was the generation of the future.

The aged shinigami watched sadly as the six people disappeared into the gate and went to the human world once again, where unknown dangers would inevitably await them sooner or later. He knew that they would rise to the challenge, it was hard to imagine this group crumbling under the pressure, but their age and inexperience worried the ancient taicho. He didn't have much time to dwell on such things, however, as Renji walked up beside him and gazed off into the sunset just outside Sereitei, his eyes a bit lighter and less serious than before.

"Do you think that they can stand up to Aizen and the Menos Grande, Yamamoto-sama?" Renji sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, "Ichigo is inexperienced, Uryu is headstrong, Chad is stubborn, Orihime is bubble-headed, Shiba is...odd, and Nemu is a scatter-brained shinigami. Can they do it?"

"Time will tell, Abarai-san, but for now let us not dwell on that over which we have no control," Yamamoto smiled, "For now, you have been promoted to taicho, so let us celebrate with another round of drinks!"

"Sounds good to me, sir," Renji laughed, looking into the horizon, "Sounds good..."

_**Translations**_

_Hihou Zabimaru:_ Baboon King

_Ryuumon Hozukimaru:_ Dragon Crest, Demon Light

_Ketsueki Wabisuke:_ Blood Apology

_**Author's Notes:**__ PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! THIS IS MY FIRST NON-DBZ or NARUTO STORY, SO ANY CRITICISM OR COMMENTARY IS APPRECIATED. YOU CAN ALSO POST IN MY FORUMS ANY IDEAS YOU HAVE FOR THE STORY AS IT GOES ON._


	2. Back in the World

"_Bound By Destiny"_

_Chapter 1- "Back in the World"_

_By- Tiny_

The morning sun peaked high on the horizon as Ichigo's alarm clock began to buzz wildly, bringing him about from the previous nights sleep just in time to avoid a foot flying for the side of his head. It didn't hit, as Ichigo was able to duck down under the attack and send the moron who had dared to try it across the floor, skidding to a stop on the other side of the room. This caused the other futon nearby to shake and knock it's inhabitant on the floor as well, while Ichigo's father, the attacker, cursed his son for being so alert in the mornings.

Ichigo's new roommate was a taller young man with large muscles and a rather firm jaw, his dark hair a bit of a mess as he crawled up out of the bed mumbling about 'Kurosaki's dumb ass father'. The roommate was none other than the lower noble Shiba Ganju, who had traveled the length of the Sereitei with Ichigo and been badly injured in the process. Knowing he needed a place to stay, and posing as an exchange student who had nowhere to live at, Ganju had taken it upon himself to force Ichigo into bringing him to his house.

Isshin hadn't seemed to mind all that much, and had in fact seemed quite tickled at the prospect of having another young man in the house, though it later turned out that this was so he could ambush both his 'sons' in the morning. Karin and Yuzu were relatively indifferent to the newest member of their household, though Yuzu was much too preoccupied with the loss of her stuffed animal, Bostov. Ichigo didn't have the heart to tell her that Urahara had taken "Bostov" down to his shop for some work, though the orange-haired shinigami didn't really know what work that might be.

"Why does the old man feel the need to ambush us every single day, when we get up and when we come home?" Ganju growled, tying his bandana to his head, "It's like living in a cheesy kung-fu movie!"

"He's just like that, you get used to it after a while," Ichigo shrugged, pulling out his school uniform, "You need to get dressed, we have to meet everyone else before we go to school."

"I don't see why I have to go to school with you, I was educated thoroughly when I was in Rukongai," Ganju mumbled, putting on the shirt and gray pants, "This crap that you study I did almost a hundred years ago!"

"Get over it, you have to stay with me and the others just in case," Ichigo chuckled, "Besides, you have to help me track down this former taicho that Yamamoto-sama told me about for my training."

"Other than Kisuke and Yoruichi I don't think any other former taicho would be that stupid to hang out around here," Ganju rolled his eyes, "Especially not one that Yamamoto said Sereitei considers to be especially dangerous, almost as much as Aizen or his followers."

_"I doubt it could get that bad,"_ Ichigo gulped, heading to the front door to get his shoes on, "Dad, we're heading out now!"

"Be back at seven, or you're a dead man!" Isshin snapped, "You aren't grown enough that I can't still whoop you!"

Ichigo didn't even grace his father with a response as the two young men went out of the building and into the streets, disappearing around the corner of the Kurosaki Clinic as they walked to school. Isshin waited until then to recline back at the table where they usually at breakfast, his normally goofy and jovial face darkening as he sipped at the tea Yuzu had made earlier. Nobody ever saw him like this, not even his wife had ever seen this side of the dark-haired doctor, or at least that's what he thought as the backdoor opened and a new figure walked in.

It was a young man, probably no older than his early twenties, with shaggy looking black hair and green eyes, his face a permanent grin that looked almost eerily like that of Ichigo. He was dressed plainly for someone who by all means should have been going to school somewhere, wearing a pair of worn out old jeans and a white t-shirt with black sneakers on his feet. Isshin knew who this man was, the representative of his old friend in the downtown district that had been coming around a lot lately, and seeing him here now meant bad news.

"Yoruichi-sensei and Urahara wish to see you, Kurosaki," the man spoke, his smirk turning to a scowl, "Aizen is about to make his move and we need to consolidate our strength now."

"My son is seeking me out for training, it will become harder and harder to avoid the confrontation between us," Isshin sighed, rising to his feet, "Does Kisuke think he can keep Ichigo occupied just a bit longer, Kon?"

"Out of the question, we have bigger fish to fry Kurosaki, your son finding out who you really are does not concern us," Kon, the former lion plush doll, spoke, "He needs to be ready; my sensei and Urahara have already taught him all they can, he needs to be trained by someone who can teach him to control his powers: you."

"Whatever, I just...was hoping to avoid this for a while longer," Isshin shook his head, sliding into his shoes, "Let's go Kon, I want to get this meeting over with before we have to open the clinic..."

Ichigo was sort of in a daze as he walked down the alleyways with Ganju, heading for the school neither of them wanted to be at, so much so that he almost didn't notice as he bumped into a rather large figure. The young man before him was easily over 6 foot tall, his skin very dark with long, curly locks of black hair that came down over his face, keeping his left eye covered. Next to him was a much smaller figure, that of a rather busty auburn-haired girl who seemed to go crazy after Ichigo fell down, causing Ganju to snicker loudly.

While Ichigo tried to compose himself, the enigmatic Uryu and the typically dimwitted Nemu began to meet up with the rest of the group, though how Nemu got separated from Orihime was confusing. As Orihime had no family or others to question who stayed with her, it had been decided that her place was the best home for Nemu while she was in the human world. It had been a perfect fit, as the two similarly scatterbrained girls hit it off perfectly and made quite the pair, though Nemu still seemed to prefer the company of Uryu to anyone else.

Uryu hadn't spoken much to anyone lately, having recently moved back in with his father at the hospital nearer to the business district, though why he had suddenly changed his mind about moving in was confusing. From what Ichigo had been able to gather during their talks before coming home, Uryu and his father had conflicting views on being a Quincy and that had caused the split in the first place. Now that he was without his powers Ichigo figured that maybe the conflict was gone, but you couldn't tell it by the look on the bespectacled youth's face.

"Looks like your not paying much attention today Ichigo, we don't want you all dirty for our first day at school," Ganju laughed on, "The girls might not like you if you look like you've been wallowing in the mud all morning."

"Stuff it, you ugly gorilla," Ichigo growled, dusting himself off, "Well, everyone's here, so now we can go on to school. Nemu, any luck on tracking down that ex-taicho Yamamoto-sama told me about?"

"No luck Ichigo, the former taicho of 6th unit remains elusive as ever," Nemu shook her head, "Urahara said that he'd 'turn up' when he felt like it. What does it mean that he'll 'turn up'?"

"It means he's going to show himself, Nemu."

"He's going to what?" Nemu gasped, blushing slightly under her eyes, "In front of GIRLS? What kind of a pervert..."

"That's not what he meant Nemu, he means that the taicho will appear to us when he feels like it," Uryu stopped the shinigami's train of thought, "But for now, we need to worry about getting to school before our teacher notices we aren't there."

"Good point, let's go everyone!" Ichigo nodded, starting to run down the alleyways, "Last one there buys lunch!"

Urahara's shop was as barren as ever as Isshin walked in and sat down at the former taicho's table, his escort Kon sitting down next to him as the other guests showed up for the meeting. The first of the three was Urahara himself, wearing his typical dark clothing and stripped bucket hat, holding on to his cane like an old geezer as he sat down across from Isshin. The two had known each other for many long years, ever since they left the Sereitei after the discovery of the Orb of Distortion, yet it never amazed him how serious the normally flamboyant man could be.

The next one coming in was a dark-skinned woman with purplish hair and yellow, cat-like eyes that seemed to peer into the very soul, decked out in very simple house clothes as she sat next to Kisuke. This woman was Yoruichi, the master of flash steps and Hakudo hand-to-hand combat, not to mention the former taicho of 2nd unit and head of the special forces. She had trained many shinigami and others over the years, including the new taicho of 2nd unit, Kurosaki Ichigo, and most recently Kon and a young girl who had come to the shop expressly begging for Yoruichi's training.

The third and final person to enter the room was a bit of a shock to Isshin, as he hadn't seen his old friend for quite a few years, yet now here he was taking a seat between Yoruichi and Kon. He was a distinguished looking man in a white blazer with a white tie bearing blue crosses on it, his hair hanging down over bespectacled eyes in pale white bangs. This man was the head of Karakura Town's central hospital, Ryuken Ishida, considered after the loss of his son's powers to be the last Quincy, though why he was associating with his "enemy" was curious.

"Friends, we are here today to discuss some intelligence that has come to our mutual attention," Kisuke began, "After having our scout, Kon, do some reconnaissance work for us, we've noticed an increasing presence of Menos in the area. We believe Aizen to be sending them out to gather information on our fighters, but I want input from everyone who stands to lose in this war. Anything to add?"

"My son was recently attacked by a combined kind of Menos, calling itself an 'Arrancar' created by 'Aizen-sama'," Ryuken spoke up, "I was able to save him and have taken him home for more training, but the appearance of such a creature has prompted me to take precautions around the hospital. The walls are being reinforced as we speak with steel and glass that blocks the sensing of spiritual pressure; I would advise Kurosaki to do the same with his clinic."

"I have no need to, my children may not understand me, but we are close and they have nothing to fear from Hollows or these Arrancar of Aizen's," Isshin growled, scratching his beard, "If they should attempt an attack on my home or threaten my children, Ichigo, Ganju, or myself will be able to take them!"

"You don't know that Kurosaki!" Yoruichi snapped, her eyes flaring wildly, "We have no idea how powerful these things are; Ryuken has experience that none of the children have, as do all of us. That can make all the difference in a battle against someone as powerful and crafty as Aizen."

"Yoruichi is right, let us not jump to conclusions without any real examples of our enemies strength," Kisuke agreed, "Best to take precautions while we can, before we regret taking no action at all. Out of all of us, Ichigo has the greatest untapped potential and we cannot afford to jeopardize his safety or allow him to slack off in his training as a shinigami."

"Kisuke, your my oldest friend, and I've allowed you to do as you please with my son thus far," Isshin gulped, "But please, don't tell me you want me to..."

"As of now, you are to begin training Ichigo, as well as Ganju, so that they will be better able to access and control their strength," Kisuke nodded, smiling stupidly, "There is little more I can teach your son that he doesn't already know, and Yoruichi is already taking on two students of her own. You are the only one left who not only has the power to train these two, but who has the experience necessary to prepare them for the war that is coming. Isshin, you have no choice."

"Then so be it, I'll train the boys to control themselves, but what are you going to do Kisuke?" Isshin sighed, rising to his feet, "Who are you going to be preparing for this 'war' your expecting?"

"I've already been approached by one person, your son's best friend," Kisuke grinned, disappearing into his shop, "As for the other, I never did meet Mayuri's daughter...perhaps it's time I paid her a visit..."

There was a chill in the air as two large figures approached a man sitting high on a throne, playing with his long brown hair with two other figures standing at his side, almost like sentries. The three men were none other than the criminal ex-taicho's; Sosuke Aizen, Kaname Tosen, and Gin Ichimaru; all three of them extremely powerful and confident in their abilities. It was there subordinates who stood now before the two men, their heads bowed in submission as the got to the base of the throne, not raising their eyes to even glance into their leader's eyes.

The larger of the two men was nearly twice the size of his fellow, decked out in robes that looked almost like a mixture of the standard shinigami robes and the Quincy uniform, as they were white on black. He had a sword that was clearly visible tucked into his sash, his scalp barren except for the back of his neck where there was a black ponytail and thick sideburns over his ears. He also appeared to have some very dark ridges on the top of his scalp, with what appeared to be a jawbone just at the base of his throat, almost like a hollow mask.

The other figure was far more slender and small than his muscular counterpart, but the way that he carried himself when he moved was very much like a distinguished gentleman from the old country. His hair was dark black and hung down over his pale skin in silky, yet unkempt, locks while his green eyes seemed to hold a deep sadness that permeated the very atmosphere. His sword was also clearly visible down at his waist, though it was far longer than his companions, his head halfway covered by a broken skull helmet that resembled a beetle's head.

"The two of you are here because it has come to my attention that the place with the most spiritual pressure in the human world is Karakura Town," Aizen spoke up, resting on his palm, "Our goal is to extract as much power as we can from this town so we can gain access to where the king is located. You two are to conduct reconnaissance, see if there is anyone who can oppose us, and kill any who try to stop you. Understood?"

"It is as you wish, Aizen-sama!"

"Then go forth, and let us make our dreams reality," Aizen laughed, "And then, I alone will sit atop the world where even angels fear to tread..."

_**Author's Notes:**__ Alright, trying to make sure that he chapters are a bit longer than most of my other stories, but I feel I got a good amount of information into this one. I wanted to lean in a bit more with Chad and Orihime, but I guess that'll have to wait until the next chapter. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed it and will review for me in bigger mass this time!_

_The next chapter will focus as two complete Arrancar enter the human world and begin their assault on Karakura Town, starting with Tatsuki and her mysterious companion, a dark-haired stranger who seems to have a few tricks up his sleeve. And what's this, Nemu can perform shikai? All this, plus Ichigo finally learns the identity of the former taicho he's been searching for: his father. Stay tuned!!!_


	3. Conquistadors: Part 1

"_Bound By Destiny"_

_Chapter 2- "Conquistadors: Part 1"_

_By- Tiny_

Ichigo was heading home from school that afternoon, his eyes gazing up at the clouds as they often did when he walked, though it wasn't the wispy bundles of white fluff that held his attention. Ganju was fumbling along behind him, just taking in the sights of the human world that he still hadn't grown accustomed to, but Ichigo hardly noticed his roommate and rival. He had other things on his mind, mostly concerning how much more frequently his inner hollow continued to surface when he left his body and how he was constantly putting his family in danger due to his immense spiritual pressure.

Ganju had tried to teach him a few methods for suppressing his power, so that they didn't have so many hollows hanging around all the time, but most of them had proven useless with Ichigo. He just didn't have the experience, not to mention discipline, to execute the techniques he was taught, all this despite receiving training from Captain-General Yamamoto and achieving bankai. As for the hollow that dwelled inside of his own body, there appeared to be little Ichigo could do about him as the damn thing constantly tried to surface and supplant the soul's master.

_"What am I supposed to do now?"_ Ichigo mused, watching the clouds roll on by, _"How can I protect the people I care for if I can't even control myself?"_

Whilst Ichigo was pondering the mystery of his predicament on one side of town, his childhood friend Tatsuki was working out her own in the best and only way she knew how: training. The young girl was doing some shadowboxing in the park nearby a small grove of trees that she used to play by as a kid, her forehead drenched with sweat and her hair heavily matted. She always came here when she had a problem that needed solving, finding the place a bit more relaxing than the dojo back at school and knowing that Orihime wouldn't be able to relate to this one.

Ever since that day at the school right before the start of summer break, she had been bothered by what happened, how she hadn't been able to protect her best friend and had even inflicted harm on her herself. It had frustrated the hell out of her ever since that day, especially since Orihime had left soon after that with Ichigo and Chad, though Tatsuke still didn't know where to. Orihime had tried to lie and tell her that she was just visiting relatives, but Tatsuki knew that the only relatives Orihime associated with were her aunt and uncle in the north, and she didn't visit them.

Then there was Ichigo, who after returning from wherever he had spent his summer was even more brooding than usual and, despite how close they had been as kids, seemed to be alienating Tatsuki. All of this added to the sudden disappearance of Rukia and the appearance of a strange boy at her house a few days after Ichigo's return made for a rather stressful day. Training to improve her fighting technique seemed like the most logical thing to do, and so that's what she was doing when something tugged at the back of her mind, just before a large explosion nearly knocked her to her knees.

People began to gather around the source of the explosion, looking down into a freshly formed crater trying to find the source of the blast, not noticing the two spiritual entities that were standing at the crater's edge. They were two figures, one tall and dark while the other was shorter and pale, with bone-like protrusions on their bodies that almost looked like those of a hollow. Tatsuki couldn't see them herself due to the mass of people that were in the front of the crowd, but she could feel...something smothering her senses as, all of a sudden, she felt her body growing weaker.

As she looked up, she could clearly see the two figures at the crater, one seeming to suck in several dozen wispy manifestations, which looked oddly like the ghosts that Tatsuki saw around her school. She could feel her body trembling as she noticed that the bodies of other people in the park, including several children, went limp and just collapsed, the white wisps then getting sucked up by the dark-skinned man. It was at that point that she realized exactly what was happening, that these people were sucking the very souls out of these innocent bystanders, and it made her blood boil as she rushed them.

She hadn't made it three feet before the smaller one spotted her and, without seeming to move at all, sent the dark-haired girl spiraling back across the park and into a tree with tremendous force. The splintering wood drove into her skin like miniature spears, sending a fiery pain soaring through her body, but she refused to just sit there and rose to her feet once more. The large man seemed almost amused, his mouth twisted into a sinister smirk as she charged him again, this time getting past the smaller figure and actually managed to hit him in the stomach.

The blow actually hurt the large man, causing him to bend slightly at the hips as a small trickle of saliva flew from his lips, followed by Tatsuki falling down to the ground in pain. Whatever this man was, and it certainly wasn't human, his skin was so tough that it seemed to have broken her left foot, making it so that she couldn't even stand up when the dark-skinned man plucked her up by her shirt front. His smirk was even more dark than it had been before, the killing intent that seemed to radiate out of him so rich that it made Tatsuki turn whiter than a sheet.

"Such spunk in a human, and she can actually see us!" the dark-skinned man laughed, seeming to make the ground shake, "Ulquiorra, what do you say about this one?"

"She seems to have a good reserve of spiritual pressure, but not even enough to challenge you, Yammy," the short man sighed, "She is trash; dispose of her."

"With pleasure!" Yammy beamed, pulling his fist back, "Nothing personal kid!"

"Maybe not for you, ugly," a new, gruff voice spoke up, "BUT FOR ME, THERE IS!"

Yammy looked up just in time to have another foot slam into his face, this time sending the large man reeling towards the ground and, subsequently, dropping Tatsuki into the arms of her savior. The short man, known as Ulquiorra, simply looked slightly surprised as the large man he came with rose to his feet, rubbing his jaw from where he had been hit. Yammy couldn't believe that he had actually been knocked to the ground by someone on this plane, not to mention that the force with which he had been hit was much harder than any human should be capable of.

The man who had rescued Tatsuki didn't look that much older than her, his own hair as black as the night, green eyes glaring daggers at Yammy as he laid the smaller girl down on the ground. He was only wearing a pair of black cargo-type pants, his feet covered by a pair of white and red tennis shoes, the tattoo of a male lion clearly visible on his right shoulder. Tatsuki knew this man simply as Kon, the name her new sensei had given to her once they started training together, and knew for a fact that he possessed tremendous stamina and leg strength.

"This one's spiritual pressure is rather high, possibly as high as your own or greater Yammy," Ulquiorra mused, noting the blood on his comrade's lip, "Still, he is no threat to me, much less Aizen-sama, and therefore is expendable. Kill him."

"With pleasure!" Yammy roared, rising to his feet, "I'm gonna make you wish you were never born, boy!"

"In your dreams, double ugly," Kon grinned, sticking his tongue out at the large figure, "You couldn't even catch me, much less kill me. Maybe if you shed a few pounds off your fat head."

"FUCK YOU!" Yammy snapped, rushing the slender figure, "I'M GONNA SEND YOU TO THE NEXT LIFE RIGHT NOW!"

Yammy's fist never hit the kaizou konpaku as he moved away in a flash, the next second standing on the large man's fist with a smile on his face, enraging his opponent further. Blow after blow was thrown, Kon managing to dodge each one with seeming ease and even managed to land a few of his own, startling his opponent and keeping all attention of the smaller man on him. Kon was about to go for another kick to the slower man's head when Yammy showed he had some tricks too, flashing out of the other fighter's sight and appearing behind him.

Kon seemed a bit stunned by this development, barely reacting in time as the large man pulled his sword from it's sheath, bringing it down into the ground where his opponent had been just moments before. Instead of hitting Kon, however, it came into contact with another sword, this one belonging to a rather shapely shinigami who seemed to be struggling just to hold Yammy's strike back. Eventually she gave in, jumping back towards Kon and falling into a defensive position, making a vein stand out on Yammy's head as he glared at the new arrival.

"Where in the hell do you fleas keep coming from to bite me?" the large swordsman roared, "Who the hell is this bitch?"

"Kurotsuchi Nemu, fukutaicho of 12th unit," the girl bowed slightly, "I have come to offer my aid to Kon-san."

"Thanks Nemu, I could use it," Kon chuckled, "This guy's a bit surprising, and I'm pretty sure that he's still warming up."

"Then it would be a shame to hold back on him," Nemu smiled softly, holding her sword in both hands, "Awaken...Galatea!"

There was a short flash just before things cleared up again, revealing the changes that had occurred once Nemu opened her mouth, her weapon having taken on the appearance of a long zanba-tou. Yammy didn't have much time to reflect on the change, however, as Nemu swung the blade and a large column of earth struck Yammy in the chin and sent him on his back. This was followed by a rock slide that came down from the top of the column, which would have buried Yammy were it not for him slashing all of the rocks with his sword.

Ulquiorra looked slightly amused, if that was possible for him, as he watched the newly arrived shinigami and her cohort make a fool of Yammy, something that nobody had counted on when coming here. According to Aizen, the only threat that could be perceived of in this world was an orange-haired shinigami named Kurosaki, yet here were three people who had actually injured one of the ex-taicho's soldiers. It was a feat they should relish in, for if it should appear that Yammy was going to lose Ulquiorra would not only kill his attackers, but Yammy as well for being so weak.

"Should we continue this fight, ugly, or do you give?" Kon mocked the large man, still having not broken a sweat, "The odds aren't in your favor."

"So what?" Yammy snarled, rising to his feet, "I won't give in to a couple of weakling kids like you two!"

"Then you leave us with no choice, ugly-san," Nemu bowed politely, taking her released weapon in hand, "It brings me no pleasure, but I shall kill you."

"BRING IT ON!!!!!"

Ichigo had felt it on the other side of town once Tatsuki was attacked by the two figures who were radiating immense spiritual pressure, putting both himself and Ganju on edge instantly. It was lost the way that he felt when he first encountered Zaraki in the Sereitei, seeming to smother him completely in a way that he wasn't used to, especially after defeating Kuchiki-taicho. He knew he needed to move and go help his friend, but couldn't seem to find his feet as Ganju began to sweat, a sign not welcome in the person that was supposed to be 'guarding' Ichigo.

The young shinigami was about to release his konpaku from his body and take off for Tatsuki's location when something else came to the back of his senses, easily as powerful if not more than what he felt in the park. It made Ganju nearly pass out, falling on his butt as he pointed behind Ichigo, causing the orange-haired teen to turn around and face the source of this new power. What he saw nearly made him fall on his own butt and would have if not for the dignity that he still had, his mouth moving to try and form words but not really being able to make anything come out.

There was a man standing before them, a shinigami with a captain's robe tied around his arm and his sword clearly visible tucked into his sash, his gaze fixed on the shaking forms before him. A small smile creased his features, his dark hair swept up into the air and his face covered in a neatly trimmed beard, and Ichigo felt like a fool for not sensing this earlier. The man standing before him was none other than his father, the same person who ambushed himself and Ganju every morning, and who most people at first regarded as a foolish idiot.

"Your friends are in no danger Ichigo, Kisuke and Yoruichi are heading for them right now," Isshin smiled, jumping down to the ground, "You, Ganju, and I have much to discuss, but it is best done somewhere private. Follow me."

"Do you think we should?" Ganju asked, whispering to Ichigo as Isshin took off into the city, "He's been deceiving us all this time, I'm not sure we can trust him."

"He's my father Ganju, I have to trust him, and if anything goes wrong I think I can take him," Ichigo mused, beginning to take off at a run, "Are you coming or what?"

"Just as foolish as ever, aren't you?" Ganju shook his head, following after the orange-haired teen, "I hope you know what your doing, Ichigo."

"So do I, Ganju," Ichigo smirked, keeping an eye on his father, _"So do I..."_

_**Translations**_

Kaizou Konpaku: Modified Soul

Galatea(Greek): Has no meaning, but was the name of a statue brought to life by the goddess, Aphrodite. This is a reflection of the fact that Nemu was made through artificial means. The swords abilities are earth based.

_**Author's Notes:**__ Well, that's another chapter down and boy was this one difficult, but I hope you all like it nonetheless. And before anyone says anything, yes, I do realize that Yammy has yet to draw his sword in the manga or anime, but this story has risen the level of competition he's facing and, as such, made him have to step up. You won't see Ulquiorra drawing his sword yet, but be advised to keep your eyes peeled for more action from usually complacent foes._

_The next chapter will continue where this one left off, with Ichigo and Ganju coming to the training room underneath Urahara's shop, where Isshin does something quite unexpected: he attacks them! Meanwhile, Kon and Nemu are doing their level best just to keep up with Yammy in combat, but the large warrior seems to be taking his toll on them as reinforcements arrive! All this and more in the next chapter!!!_


	4. Conquistadors: Part 2

"_Bound By Destiny"_

_Chapter 3- "Conquistadors: Part 2"_

_By- Tiny_

Ichigo stopped on the outskirts of town, near the old warehouse district where nobody went anymore except wanderers and homeless, Ganju skidding to a halt just behind him. Isshin was already waiting for them, leaning on his side along a stone ledge on one of the buildings, his mouth turned up in a slightly amused smile as he watched Ganju and Ichigo pant with exhaustion. Granted, he was out of his body and therefore his stamina was more than it would normally be, but despite that these two should have been able to keep up with him rather easily.

Neither of the two boys could believe the speed with which Isshin had moved on the way to this location, utilizing a mixture of flash steps and just plain speed, similar to the movements of Kenpachi Zaraki. It was remarkable, considering that Isshin was supposed to be almost as old as Ukitake and easily as powerful, which would explain why he was considered such a danger to the Gotei 13. Anyone who could sneak up on the usually well-observed Ganju and the unusually powerful Ichigo was dangerous, not to mention very sneaky.

"My, my, you boys certainly do look tired, and that was a short jog!" Isshin chuckled, broadening his smile, "I would have expected much more, especially from you Ichigo."

"Can it, old man, we don't have time for this," Ganju snapped, shaking a finger at the former taicho, "What were you following me and carrot-top around for today?"

"Is it so wrong for a father to keep an eye on his boys?"

"Answer the question Dad, I wanna know too," Ichigo glared, "Yamamoto-sama sent us to find the former taicho of 6th unit, and come to find out it's YOU! I think I deserve an explanation."

"Young people, always in a hurry," Isshin sighed, jumping down before the two boys, "I was following you around at Kisuke's request. He feels that the two of you are not yet ready for the war that's brewing and sent me to test you."

"Test us?" Ganju mused, stroking his chin, "Test us for what?"

"To see if you even have the potential to combat what is coming," Isshin answered, his tone deadly serious as he drew his sword, "Release your konpaku, both of you. I want you to fight me, right here, right now."

"You always said two on one wasn't fair," Ichigo muttered, releasing his konpaku as Ganju did likewise, "That it showed weakness."

"Indeed, hence why you will both attack at once," Isshin smirked, almost wickedly, at the two boys, "Because for all your strengths, you are both still weak."

Ichigo didn't have to be told twice as he drew the sword from his back and rushed at his father, Ganju following suit only to have their swords clash with one another as the old man vanished. He reappeared a few steps away and cocked his head to the side just as Ichigo came in for another strike, this one only connecting with Isshin's sword as the older shinigami knocked him back several feet. Ganju prepared himself to take advantage of the distraction, casting one of his Seppa spells underneath Isshin's feet, but it didn't work as the ex-taicho fired a weak Kido and knocked him away.

Ganju was already out of the picture, but Isshin had anticipated as much and now turned the whole of his attention to Ichigo, who was at that moment rushing for another strike with his sword. The blow passed through thin air as Isshin flash stepped over to his son's side and slashed his own sword against Ichigo's right arm, sending a spray of blood across the ground below. Ichigo was about to instinctively reach for his arm, but didn't do so for fear of dropping his sword and being left defenseless, though it didn't seem to matter at this point.

"Your not as fast as Yoruichi said you'd be, nowhere near fast enough to have beaten Byakuya," Isshin noted, resting his sword on his shoulder, "And your sword is far too large. Do you not know how to control it's size?"

"It's always been this big, I can't control it," Ichigo grumbled, moving the sword into position, "But if you want to see it small, I think I can manage that..."

"You still have so much to learn, Ichigo, as does Ganju," Isshin sighed, looking up at the sky, "Even as a child, you had no self-control."

"We'll see who can't control their sword, old man!" Ichigo snapped, the cloth of his sword wrapping around his good arm, "BANKAI!!!!!"

Yammy couldn't believe what was happening, ducking just in time to avoid one of those super-charged kicks of the Hakudo user, then moving away from a flurry of sharp, rock projectiles heading his way. It had been like this ever since the shinigami, Nemu, had shown up on the scene, using her earth-based abilities to literally pull the footing out from under the large fighter. That in conjunction with the powerful and lightning fast moves of the kaizou konpaku that was teaming up with her and it made Yammy's plight that much more unbearable.

The other hollow-like entity didn't even seem to be concerned for his counterpart, simply being content to watch while Yammy got his butt handed to him, merely playing the role of observer. So far it was hard to tell if he was impressed or stunned by the performance of the two spiritual warriors, especially considering how powerful Yammy was in comparison to the normal shinigami. As for Tatsuki, another non-combat onlooker, she was both stunned and amazed, seeing as she didn't know Nemu and was surprised at how powerful Kon really was.

When she had first started training with Yoruichi, after the dark-skinned woman recognized her potential in Hakudo, she had left the bulk of Tatsuki's training and sparring sessions to Kon. During those sessions Kon had never fought with quite the ferocity that he was now showing, nor had he ever displayed such high spiritual pressure and knowledge of advanced attacks. Tatsuki also didn't know he could use Kido, as he had always relied on his well-trained body and Hakudo movements in their matches, but apparently he could as he launched a semi-powerful spell at Yammy.

Yammy was briefly able to brush off the spell, but it had been just the opening that Nemu needed as she sent a large pillar of stone out at Yammy, driving the sharp rock clean through his shoulder. Dark blood poured from the wound as the hollow-man pulled his arm away, screaming in agony as his companion finally showed a brief burst of surprise at the move. Their skin was supposed to be nearly impenetrable, and he was a bit stunned that a shinigami using shikai would be able to break it, but then he hadn't even expected a fukutaicho to be here at all.

"You stupid bitch, you cut me!" Yammy roared, waving his sword around, "Me, one of Aizen-sama's most powerful Arrancar!"

_"So that's what they are,"_ Kon mused, waving a finger at his quarry, "Don't blame _her_, assmunch, just because _your _weak."

"Why you little...fucker!" Yammy snapped, holding his sword before his face and smirking sadistically, "I'll show you who's weak! Slaughter..."

Whatever command Yammy was about to give his sword was cut off as the smaller Arrancar, Ulquiorra, drove his hand into his partner's wound, twisting it around within the flesh. The larger man practically squealed with pain, dropping to his knees as the smaller man sheathed Yammy's sword for him, pulling out his blood-soaked hand before looking over at the three living realm fighters. The cold semblance of a smile creased his melancholy features, sending a chill down everyone's spine as he opened up a sort of portal behind them.

"We are not here to flaunt our strength Yammy, merely to observe, and we have already seen enough," Ulquiorra stated flatly, "We will take our leave now, but be warned...Aizen-sama is not through with this realm yet."

"What business does he have with us?" Nemu asked just as matter-of-factly, resealing her sword, "We did not provoke him, therefore there should be no conflict between our two sides."

"You are all trash, that is reason enough to exterminate you," Ulquiorra scoffed, turning into the portal, "We shall meet again, soon, and the next time...none of you will survive."

Nemu and Kon didn't respond to the threat as Ulquiorra and Yammy disappeared into the portal, leaving no trace of them having even been there save the large crater and several upraised mounds of earth from their fight. Nemu seemed to be a bit confused as to what all the violence was for, while Kon seemed very distant, his green eyes gazing off into the sky in thought. It was unusual for the normally goofy and carefree fighter to ever be so serious, but nobody had any time to contemplate the issue at hand as the sound of clapping reached their ears.

Looking to her side, Tatsuki spotted Kisuke and Yoruichi resting against a large tree with slightly amused looks on their faces, though for Kisuke that wasn't such a surprising development. Nobody knew how long they had been there, or how much of the fight they had seen, but for them to be applauding and even amused they must have been there for quite some time. It made Tatsuki a bit angry that her sensei had seen her miserable performance against Yammy, yet she showed no such agitation on the outside as the two more experienced combatants approached.

"Well done, all of you have done very well today," Kisuke clapped, fanning himself comically, "Thanks to you, we now have a rough idea of the strength and abilities of our enemy!"

"But, Urahara-taicho, we didn't beat them," Nemu bowed, her face as blank and expressionless as always, "According to my father, 'a job is not well done unless your enemy lies dead at you feet.'"

"Mayuri exaggerates, but I'm not here to argue," Kisuke waved it off, "The three of you are no doubt tired and wish an explanation, so come with me. I'll explain everything back at my store."

Neither of the girls argued, Nemu returning to her gigai and helping Tatsuki to her feet, the two of them following an almost flamboyant Urahara as he made his way through the trees. Kon remained behind, however, his gaze still fixed on the clouds and his brow furrowed in deep thought, which Ichigo had once told him would 'cause his head to explode'. He didn't even notice as his teacher strolled over to the young man, staring up into the sky along with him as her hair blew in the wind, nearly brushing over Kon's face and bringing him back to reality.

"Your quiet, that's unusual," Yoruichi smiled, "Did you exhaust yourself that much against your enemy?"

"No, he didn't even force me to use my best moves," Kon shook his head, sitting down on the ground, "But that little one, he was able to knock Tatsuki-chan away without even visibly moving a muscle, and he took down Yammy like he was nothing! If Yammy was one of Aizen's strongest, what does that make the little guy?"

"Stronger, and it means that we'll have to up your training," Yoruichi chuckled, resting on her side, "Next time we train, your weight's are getting increased again...500 pounds!"

"WHAT!?!" Kon gasped, finally reverting back to himself, "That's not fair!"

Isshin looked down disapprovingly at his son and Ganju, both so bloody and beaten and he hadn't even been forced to release his sword, proving further how inexperienced these two were. Both had potential, Ichigo had already learned bankai and was well on his way to mastering it, but there were still his hollow powers and the fact that he hadn't been taught any other forms of combat. Then there was Ganju, who had had no formal training whatsoever in anything save his rock spells, yet he was able to continue getting up and coming at the former taicho.

Both had impressed him with their skill considering the lack of any formal training or experience, yet neither seemed up to the task of taking on what was to come, even if they started training right away. Urahara had told him not to take their performance to literally, as Ichigo had always managed to surprise any foe that he faced, and Ganju was Kaien's little brother. The two both held more power than either of them realized, it was just a matter of bringing that potential to the surface, not to mention teaching them how to control it.

_"You two are in for hell once you wake back up, because training starts tomorrow,"_ Isshin smirked, returning to his own body, _"And I'm not going to go as easy on you as Kisuke..."_

The room was utterly deprived of light as Ulquiorra and Yammy made their way to meet with the rest of their fellows, Yammy still cradling his wounded arm with the good hand. Ulquiorra had been utterly unapologetic in regards to further injuring his comrade, though that was not surprising, as the melancholy Arrancar rarely showed any sort of affection towards his brethren. It was part of what made him one of Aizen's favorite subordinates, that part of himself that was still left over from his days as a hollow, the utter disregard for all life.

As they entered the room, a small amount of light came in from grooves in the ceiling, allowing the highlighted forms of eight other Arrancar to appear alongside a throne of sorts. Beside them, at the right and left arm of the throne, were the former shinigami Tosen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin, now wearing a white uniform that looked like a cross between shinigami robes and the Quincy outfit. Their swords were all clearly visible, but nobody was really paying attention to the blades as the light fell on the man sitting on the throne.

Aizen looked quite pleased to see his two subordinates, his usual smile spread wide over his face as his dark eyes twinkled, looking over the two Arrancar as they bowed their heads to the ground. The other eight Arrancar at his side did likewise until Aizen signaled for them to rise, though neither Tosen or Ichimaru bowed, signifying their status as equals or, more likely, their indifference. They just kept their eyes ahead as the two other Arrancar rose to their feet, folding their arms behind their backs and standing as thought at ease to await further orders.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra, Yammy," Aizen chuckled, rising to his feet, "Now, enlighten us all, my children. Tell your brothers and sisters what we have learned..."

_**Author's Notes:**__ Well, another chapter down and again...very little action where Ichigo and Ganju are concerned, though it is quite evident that the both of them got a good, old-fashioned butt kicking! And Isshin did it without even performing shikai, yet we got to see a little more of Kon and Nemu's powers as they brought Yammy to the verge of releasing his sword. Next time, they may just pull it off, but in the meantime I hope everyone was happy with this chapter, cause now it's time to work on my other stories a little bit._

_The next chapter will feature Ulquiorra informing all of his 'siblings' as to what exactly took place in the living world, as well as informing Aizen that he had failed in his mission to test Ichigo. This will not sit well with other, more power-hungry Arrancar that he gets away with failure, particularly one younger looking one known as Grimmjow and several of the other, weaker ones. All that, plus Ichigo begins training with his father! Stay tuned for more..._


	5. Council of War

"_Bound By Destiny"_

_Chapter 4- "Council of War"_

_By- Tiny_

Aizen watched with a mixture of wonder and surprise as Ulquiorra replayed the events that had transpired in the human world, right down to his and Yammy's retreat back to their own world. The room was amazed with the power of the shinigami and the mysterious Hakudo user that had attacked Yammy, made even more stunned by the sudden appearance of Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi. Yammy was one of Aizen's most powerful Arrancar and yet they had just watched him get tossed around between the two fighters like a rag doll, something that did not bode well.

Gin seemed amused as ever, watching the events play out before him with his ever present smirk in place as he stroked his chin, his red eyes actually partially visible whenever something of particular interest caught his gaze. Tosen merely stood and 'watched' what was taking place with no real interest, as he couldn't really see what was happening and relied on Gin to inform him. After what seemed like an eternity, the information ceased and Ulquiorra reopened his left eye, standing back at ease while his fellows digested what they had just witnessed.

"Your mission was to test the abilities of this Kurosaki Ichigo and, if he failed to impress you, to kill him," a younger looking, blue-haired Arrancar spoke up, "You failed to even come into contact with Kurosaki, and nearly got Yammy killed in the process! Your mission was a total disaster!"

"I must agree with Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, you did not fulfill your mission's parameters," Aizen mused, stroking his own hair, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I have no excuses, Aizen-sama," the pale Arrancar answered, "Yammy and I were given a mission and we failed to execute it properly. We will therefore take any punishment you deem deserving of such failure."

"I say he should be killed, his head lobbed off and put on a stake!" a shark-like Arrancar cackled, "Then maybe we could extract his power for our own use!"

"You'd enjoy that too much, D-Roy, and it's too easy," Grimmjow chuckled, rubbing his eyes, "I think that he should be stripped of his rank; sent to stay in Tres Cifras with others like him."

"There will be no punishment," Aizen interjected, rising from his throne, "Ulquiorra and Yammy, while they did not complete their mission, have gathered sufficient data on our foes."

The room grew silent at Aizen's words, the weaker Arrancar visibly stunned at their leader's words and some of the stronger one's as well, with Grimmjow being the most shocked. The blue-haired creature was at a loss for words, his teeth grinding against one another in frustration, his hand fingering the hilt of his sword as though ready to leap and strike the others himself. The rest of the seemingly higher ranking Arrancar remained still and emotionless, not daring to speak out in revolt for fear of Aizen or one of the other two ex-shinigami striking them down.

"For now, we will wait for another opportunity to present itself in assessing Kurosaki's talents, led this time by Kaname or Gin," Aizen spoke, rising from his throne and stepping off the podium, "You are all dismissed."

"But Aizen-sama..."

"I said you're dismissed!" Aizen snapped, his spiritual pressure smothering the room, "Do not question me again, Grimmjow...or there'll be hell to pay."

Grimmjow did not speak again while Aizen or any of his direct subordinates were in the room, waiting until they were out of the room before firing a _cero_ right through the entrance of the room. The blue-haired Arrancar was pissed, furious that his 'father' had once again let Ulquiorra slide with another failure without punishing him, once again showing that god damned favoritism of his. It was all the young Arrancar could do right now not to rush out there and challenge Ulquiorra to a fight, proving both to Aizen and himself who was right.

_"No, no need to beat up on Ulquiorra, not when Kurosaki is out there waiting,"_ Grimmjow mused, twirling his sword, _"But first, to find some help..."_

Ichigo woke up flat on his back and wrapped with bandages all around, Ganju lying across the room in slightly better shape but still asleep, a small trickle of drool sliding down the side of his face. It was slightly amusing to see, but knowing what had put them in this condition wasn't funny, in fact it was downright depressing that both Ganju and himself had been beaten down by an old man. To make matters worse and even more insulting to both their skills, Isshin had taken them both out without ever having to release his zanpakuto.

"Oh, your awake now," a soft, feminine voice spoke, "I was so worried when Isshin-san brought you here, Ichigo."

Ichigo rose his body slightly to peek over towards the source of the voice, his brown eyes a little wide when he saw Orihime leaning over him, her auburn hair hanging down over her smiling face. The scent of fresh roses rose up from around her and caused Ichigo to feel slightly more relaxed, though a bit embarrassed about the fact that her cleavage was right in his face. While this wouldn't bother most men, especially not the perverts that Ichigo knew, it made Ichigo rather uncomfortable, as they had known each other since they were kids and he found it unnerving.

Scurrying to a more comfortable position as quickly as possible before he got accused of being a pervert, Ichigo already feeling a tightened sensation somewhere he wasn't used to. Orihime didn't seem to notice, innocent minded as she was, but simply continued to smile as Ichigo cringed with pain, failing to realize just how injured he really was. Ganju was also starting to fidget around a bit, though he wasn't in quite as much pain as Ichigo was and thus managed to get up on his feet and stretch a bit before looking around the room.

"Where the hell are we?" Ganju moaned, rubbing his neck, "This definitely isn't your house, Ichigo."

"This is a room in Urahara's shop, probably just behind the store displays," Ichigo grumbled, "I recognize it from when I was last here, but what are we doing here instead of at the clinic? And why are you here, Orihime?"

"I'm not sure, after the stuff that went on yesterday Urahara-san called us all here to discuss the future," Orihime shrugged, "Even Tatsuki came, so this must be something big going down."

"Indeed it is, Inoue-san, but don't spill too many secrets," Kisuke chimed in, walking into the room suddenly, "Now that these two are awake, meet us in the dining area, we have much to discuss."

Ichigo looked like he wanted to begin the questioning right away, but didn't get a chance to do so as Kisuke strolled over into the dining hall, leaving the orange-haired shinigami to stew. Orihime didn't say anything and merely helped Ichigo to his feet as Ganju walked over into the next room, the warmth of her touch both comforting and uncomfortable for her friend. Still, Ichigo knew he didn't have the strength yet to walk over to the dining hall himself and let Orihime help him into the room, his eyes widening slightly as he entered.

He had expected Chad, Uryu, and Nemu to be there with himself, Orihime, and Ganju, but he had not expected to see Tatsuki sitting over next to Yoruichi and some black-haired kid with Kon's spiritual pressure. Kisuke was sitting at the head of the table with Tessai standing just behind him, a mysterious man with white hair to his right and Ichigo's father to his left. There was also an empty seat to Isshin's left, but that too was soon filled as the wacky spirit medium, Don Kanonji, took his own seat, dressed a bit darker and more plainly than usual.

Ichigo took his own seat between Orihime and Ganju, surveying the confused and somewhat frustrated looks on the faces of all the younger people at the table, save for Uryu and Chad. It wasn't that they knew what was going on either, but those two had a knack for staying collected in the most uneasy of situations, and this certainly qualified as there was a lingering sense of doom in the air. Kisuke, who was normally flamboyant and chatty, was being as silent as a lamb while the young folks gathered around his table, sipping on the tea he had prepared before finally clearing his throat.

"Thank you all for joining us here today, and believe me when I say I wish it could be under happier circumstances," Kisuke began, finally looking at the group, "My colleagues and I have brought you here to discuss the future, or rather what may happen if you aren't ready for what lies ahead."

"What are you talking about, old man?" Ganju spoke up, "What's going on that we need to be ready for?"

"Aizen is making his move, using the Orb of Distortion to create a new enemy which some of you have already faced: the Arrancar," Kisuke continued, both ignoring and answering Ganju at once, "These were once hollows, but by using the orb on them it has granted them shinigami-like powers, as well as increasing their natural strength by leaps and bounds! Up until recently they were all incomplete and deformed, but as you well know, things are different now."

"Different? Different how?" Ichigo asked, leaning forward in anticipation, "What're you talking about, old man?"

"He's referring to the two Arrancar that Nemu, Tatsuki, and Kon encountered in the park yesterday, two complete Arrancar," Isshin responded, keeping his voice unusually calm and even, "The one didn't seem that powerful in comparison, but his partner was able to deflect several of our best attacks with ease. We're dealing with something the likes of which we've never seen before."

"Isshin is correct, and to ready ourselves for the attacks that are sure to come in the future, the four of us are prepared to train you," Yoruichi spoke up, stroking a strand of her long hair, "We have already divided you up into groups, and each of us will take on at least two of you."

"Teams? For training?" Chad spoke up, stunning everyone, "Who's going to be training who?"

"Yoruichi already has two students, Kon and Tatsuki, who will also be apprenticing under Tessai here," Kisuke responded, "Ryuken has...reluctantly agreed to train both his son, Uryu, and Kanonji-san. I will be working with Orihime, Chad, and Ganju, as they lag behind the most and will need the most training. And finally, Ichigo and Nemu are going to be trained by Isshin-san, a slight detour from our original plan, but one we feel works out for the better."

"Why is Isshin training Nemu as well as Ichigo?" Uryu asked quietly, "I mean, I know Ichigo's his son, but why Nemu? They aren't even in the same class."

"Because unlike Ichigo, both Nemu and Isshin are able to control and focus their spiritual pressure, therefore making them more effective in combat," Kisuke responded somewhat frustrated, "Ichigo must learn to reign himself in, or he will be a sitting duck in the even of any future attacks."

"Oh..." Uryu gulped, putting her head down, _"Sorry I asked..."_

"Now, if there are no more questions, you may all return to your homes for the evening," Kisuke closed the briefing with, rising up and heading back into the shop, "Get your rest now, because tomorrow is when all hell breaks loose..."

High in the night sky, stretching out their senses as they waited for the meeting to disperse back at the shop, six shadowy figures lingered in the night sky, breathing a deep sigh of relief as the group split up into pairs. The six had been monitoring the meeting all night and were waiting for the massive gathering to end, so that their prey would be separate and, therefore, weaker. It would be much easier now to pick them off, one at a time and as slowly as they wished, though the leader had already claimed the shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, as his own.

The leader of the troop was none other than the same Arrancar that had defied Aizen during their meeting, his light blue hair swept back on his head as he chuckled maniacally to himself. The mice were running the maze, and now it was time for the cats to pounce and finish this resistance movement, proving to Aizen and his siblings that he was right all along. Ichigo would beg for death after Grimmjow was finished with him, though he would not recieve his reward right away, not until the Arrancar had ground ever last bit of strength from the pathetic shinigami's body.

"Spread out to whatever targets you choose, but stay away from Kurosaki and the girl, they belong to me," Grimmjow ordered his fellows, "MOVE OUT!"

_**Author's Notes:**__ Another chapter down, sorry this one took so long to get out there but I've had some real bad writer's block lately. I won't be including previews for the next chapter anymore, so you'll just have to guess what comes next, though that may make things more interesting in the long run. Well, read and review until then folks!_


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